The Wanderers
by Tsuki no Lomelinde
Summary: A strange elf has ventured into Mirkwood who says that he can help Legolas. Is he telling the truth? CH 7 is finally here!
1. Fire and Nightmares

"The Wanderers"  
By: Tsuki no Lomelinde  
  
Disclaimer: *sigh* I do not own "Lord of the Rings" I can still dream. can't I? *Drools over thought of owning "LotR"* *snaps back to present* Sorry. However, the characters that I created; Lomelinde, Shyla, Thurin, and Shoran, and any others, belong to me. Their mine all mine!!!!!! *blushes * sorry, power rush.  
  
Summary: Something terrible has happened in Mirkwood, can it be saved and the evil destroyed? And where's Legolas......?  
  
"The Wanderers"  
Chapter one: Fire and nightmares  
  
Elrond tossed in his sleep, visions plaguing him.. Fire. burning. the trees!! They were screaming in their pain, but not them alone, he could hear wailing, as if many were sounding their anguish. He could see blood.splattered everywhere. the moon cast an ethereal glow on everything. he was in a forest, what forest it was he did not know. he looked towards the sky drawn to it for some reason. he gasped there were no stars!! Only the moon looking cold and pale. it wasn't that there were clouds. the sky was just empty. an empty darkness. the trees continued in sounding their sorrow, and the elven lord felt an urge to join them. though he did know why.the urge was too great.  
  
Elrond sat up in his bed, he shivered convulsively and looked around the room in panic, his gaze landed on the window and what lay outside. the trees weren't burning.  
  
He turned surprised when someone pounded on his door, before he could make a move to open it; it burst open, nearly torn off its hinges.  
  
Mithrandir stepped in, closely followed by Aragorn holding his sword and Gimli close behind axe in hand, the Halflings were also present, they all looked around the room wildly, and seeing no immediate danger relaxed slightly.  
  
Aragorn moved towards the bed, "Ada are you alright? We heard someone cry out, are you well?"  
  
Elrond merely looked at his foster son, the fellowship had all gathered for a bit of a reunion, having not seen each other in nearly five years.  
  
"Ada?" Aragorn questioned worried when Elrond didn't answer him.  
  
"I am fine Estel. it was merely a dream."  
  
Aragorn's shoulders sagged in relief, it had been a hard few years; Arwen had been killed by bandits while on a ride near the borders of Gondor, leaving the king alone.  
  
Mithrandir leaned on his staff heavily, and gave Elrond an assessing look before turning away.  
  
Elrond looked at the assembled friends. the fellowship. but not complete, Legolas had not arrived yet. Elrond frowned, the prince was never late. and with his troubling dream he couldn't shake off a feeling of unease.  
  
"All is well, I am sorry to have troubled all of you, please return to your beds and worry no longer." Elrond said, but before anyone could comply, Glorfindel rushed into the room, he gave the assembled group a confused glance before turning back to Elrond.  
  
"My Lord, a horse was seen passing our borders a few minutes ago, at full gallop, they didn't even stop when our sentries hailed them, the rider was an elf, so they let them pass, the rider was in Mirkwood colors, and very weary."  
  
Elrond threw back the blankets and stood up; he grabbed a robe to put on over his nightshirt, and grabbed some medical supplies, 'just to be on the safe side' he thought to himself, and hurried down the hall, the Fellowship and Glorfindel following close at his heels.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They reached the great hall just as the doors burst open, a horse galloped in stopping only a few feet from where the fellowship stood.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" Elrond said.  
  
The figure sat on the horse leaning heavily against the animal's neck, before sliding off.  
  
"Who are you?" Elrond demanded.  
  
The figure tugged their hood off revealing their face.  
  
It was an elf maiden, she looked up at them.  
  
"Woe to the old ones! For they are burning! Burning!" she wailed. "Nai, hên firith!" (The child is fading!) We are forsaken!"  
  
"Where is the young one Lord Elrond? Where is the light? Estel! Where is the last? Gimli, Where is your friend?"  
  
"Forsaken we are forsaken!"  
  
"Hush child you make no sense!" Elrond said his voice harsher then he intended.  
  
"The great forest is burning! Mirkwood is in flames! Fly! Fly to their aid!  
But first hear this; the royal family is fallen! Thruin, heir to the throne is dead, Slain by the Orcs! Shoran is wounded, but still lives. Shyla rides, growing ever closer to Lothlorien with the elven maidens, and the elflings. And Thranduil is mad, mad with grief!"  
  
Everyone stood frozen not believing what was being told to them.  
  
Gimli broke the silence by saying, "What of Legolas? You name his father, his siblings, but not him?"  
  
The maiden turned towards the dwarf, who looked into her eyes, 'those eyes were old' he thought, 'older than Elrond.'  
  
"Alas young Legolas, the last of Thranduil's children, fallen before the battle, neither waking nor sleeping is he. Shall he waken? I know not." Her voice trailed off, and she turned away.  
  
"Who are you?" Mithrandir asked, it seemed to be of great importance to him.  
  
"I. I am Lomelinde, also known as Rana. I am the last." She said and was gone, just gone; it was as if she had faded away.  
  
Elrond's face was grim, "We shall leave tonight; we can not wait. Glorfindel, awaken Elladan and Elrohir, they shall accompany us. Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, the four of you shall remain here." Elrond silenced their protests by saying, "You are needed here; you must trust me on this matter."  
  
The Halflings nodded glumly, but obeyed and returned to their rooms, though they did not sleep again that night.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The horses were saddled and Elladan and Elrohir had been told of what had happened. Glorfindel was remaining, as was Mithrandir, by the order of Elrond. The company set off, but what awaited them they did not know.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
*Rana is a word I picked up. in one of J.R.R. Tolkien's books, I'm afraid I'm not sure which one. it was in an index in the back of a book, it means 'wanderer'.  
  
A/N: Well, tell me what you think. Should I continue? Oh, and I'm taking a vote, if you want this to be a Aragorn /Legolas slash, then tell me, if not I'll keep them just as friends. But the majority vote wins!!!  
All reviews will be gladly accepted and cherished; all flames will be thrown into the mines of Moria and never heard from again.  
Oh, and another thing, my Elvish sucks, I know words but not the structure of a sentence, so any mistakes are my own, and I'll fix them if someone finds any. Hannon le! Tsuki no Lomelinde 


	2. Ashes and sorrow

"The Wanderers"  
By: Tsuki no Lomelinde  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed!  
  
Elfmage: Hmm. cookies that's tempting! Thanks fro the praise! You guys really boosted my ego! Cheysuli: You'll see who Rana is later! I promise! I don't want to give anything away!! Thanks to Nikki, Slash, Sirnonenath, Chibi Yugi, Eliza, crazyrabidfangurl, Saxaphonebaby, and Deana.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Disclaimer: You guys get the idea they don't belong to me *pouts*. But the characters that I created to belong to me. *sigh* at least something belongs to me.  
  
Summary: Something horrible is happening in Mirkwood. Can it be saved? And what has happened to Legolas?  
  
Chapter 2: The madness of King Thranduil  
  
The company stopped for the night, it had been two days since they had left Rivendell, and worry was clearly evident in all of them.  
  
The twins rode close together; both were drawn, and tired, as was Elrond.  
  
Aragorn watched them closely, he couldn't figure out why they seemed so weary, it was true that the elves didn't need as much sleep as the rest of them, but they had gotten some sleep, enough that they shouldn't look so weary.  
  
Elrond was lost in his thoughts, his sleep had not been so restful these past two days, nightmares had been plaguing him, and they left him, as tired as he had felt when he'd gone to sleep, if not even more weary. In his dreams he kept seeing the burning trees, it unnerved him.  
  
Gimli sat behind Aragorn on the horse; he was still uncomfortable riding on his own. He remembered all the times when the Fellowship had been together and he'd ridden with Legolas, he remembered all the laughing Legolas did at his expense, especially at his inability to ride properly, but the dwarf hadn't minded, Legolas hadn't been cruel about it, and Gimli did have to admit it was kind of funny when he'd fallen off of the horse and into a stream.  
  
The dwarf sighed, he hated to admit it but he was worried about the elf, the things that the young elf maiden had told them, were cryptic at best, but the words had a strange feeling attached.fear. He was also a bit worried about the three elves of their company; they seemed to become wearier as the days went by.  
  
"Mirkwood should be just over this rise." Elrond's voice broke through everyone's thoughts, startling the twins. Elrohir felt a sort of aching feeling in his chest, as if a great sorrow was welling up inside of him, just as they reached the top of the hill it broke free from him, he tumbled gracelessly from his horse who whinnied nervously, the company stopped as Elrohir kneeled on the ground sobbing, his twin also came down from his horse, and they held each other sobbing, they didn't know why they were crying and they couldn't stop, they looked up towards their father, tears were streaming down the Elven Lord's face, but he managed to remain on his horse.  
  
"Ada? Elladan, Elrohir? What is the matter?" Aragorn asked, jumping down from his horse, worry lacing his words.  
  
"The trees!" Elladan wailed, "They're crying!"  
  
"Why?" Gimli asked sliding clumsily off of the horse.  
  
Elrond got off of his own horse and said, "They have not wept in centuries. They only weep if on of the royal family has passed to the halls of Mandos..."  
  
Aragorn paled slightly. "Ada... you don't think."  
  
"I do not know Estel, Rana did say that Thruin had passed through to the halls of Mandos. Perhaps." he trailed off, he had stepped forward, just enough to see over the hill they had been climbing. There was a lingering scent of smoke in the distance, some of the trees were burnt and charred, but even so all of them swayed in a wind, though Elrond could feel nothing, not even a slight breeze, it unnerved him.  
  
The others came to stand near him, curious as to why he had trailed off, there were broken branches, along with the charred pieces. They leapt back onto their horses, Gimli a little less gracefully then the others and they were off, off into the silent forest of Mirkwood.  
  
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-  
  
As the horses walked through Mirkwood, their riders were appalled by the amounts of carnage left behind, Elves and Orcs alike lie still and silent on the ground.  
Aragorn looked around him and wondered, they had yet to see any living creature. The thought was dismissed when he heard the sound of arrows being notched to bows, and a voice said "Daro! Al-is mellon o gûd?" A voice asked in the elvish tongue. (Stop! Are you friend or foe?)  
  
It was Elrond who answered, "I am Lord Elrond of Imladris! I have with me my sons, and Gimli, son of Gloin who is known to you."  
  
A lithe figure hopped down from a tree, his arm was wrapped up tightly in bandages, but he stood proud and tall. "I am Shoran, son of Thranduil. Hail to you Lord Elrond, and company, we are glad to see you in our troubled times, but you were not who we expected."  
  
What do you mean?" Elrohir asked.  
  
My sister Shyla set off four days ago, to Lothlórien, with the maidens and elflings. We were expecting the Lady of the Golden woods to come to us."  
  
"What of the enemy?" Elrond asked  
  
"They ran off as if chased by the hand of darkness, and have not returned."  
  
"When?"  
  
"Two days have passed."  
  
"What of the rest of the royal family?" Elrond prodded gently.  
  
The elf's grey blue eyes darkened, "My eldest brother Thruin is dead, slain by orc swords. Shyla as I have said rode to Lothlorien, my father. my father is within the palace, he has locked himself away, he will allow no one entrance; and. my youngest brother Legolas is there with him, Legolas is quite ill, if he has not already passed through to the Halls of Mandos. I can not tell, the trees are in mourning and will speak to no one."  
  
"What is wrong with Legolas?" Gimli cut in, impatient to find out what had happened to his friend.  
  
Shoran turned to the dwarf. "Legolas became ill five days past, fever plagues him, as do nightmares; he could not be wakened. We begged my father to send for you, Lord Elrond; but something is amiss with adar-nin (my father). He will speak to no one; as soon as the battles ended and the Orcs had fled, he took Legolas to his chambers.  
  
Flashback (5 days ago.)  
  
Shyla wandered through the halls, it was nearing noon and she was searching for her youngest brother Legolas, he was due to leave for Rivendell in a few hours, but she had not seen him at all, not even at breakfast, which was rare, because he was always the first to rise in the morning.  
  
She met up with her twin brother on the way. "Shoran, have you seen Legolas?" she questioned.  
  
Shoran shook his head, "No I have not, father requests Legolas' presence, and sent me to search for him. Perhaps he is in his chambers, preparing to leave."  
  
Shyla shrugged, "Perhaps, will you accompany me?"  
  
He nodded in affirmation, and they headed towards their youngest brother's chambers.  
  
Shyla hesitantly knocked on the door, when she received no answer she pushed it open. "Legolas? Are you here Father.Legolas?!" She cried when she saw him lying in his bed. It was not like him to sleep so late.  
  
She and Shoran walked over. "Legolas?" She questioned again, but he did not stir.  
  
She put her hand to his forehead, "He is with fever! Shoran, go to father, tell him that Legolas is ill."  
  
Her brother nodded and ran out of the room.  
  
"Legolas?" She whispered, and touched his shoulder; she was startled when he awoke with a cry.  
  
"Legolas are you ill?" she questioned.  
  
Legolas looked at her, "I am fine Shyla; I must go and prepare to leave."  
  
You will do no such thing, you should not lie to me Legolas; I know that you are ill."  
  
She pushed him back so that he was lying on the bed again. "You have a fever. Now sleep, Shoran has gone to father."  
  
Legolas was too tired to argue with her so he complied, and remained lying on the bed.  
  
End flashback  
  
"Come I will take you to the palace, perhaps you can speak with father." Shoran said and led them through the trees.  
  
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
I know that it's short, I'm sorry, but with exams approaching it may be awhile, before I can update. This can't be happening, the votes for Slash or not is a tie, I refuse to be the tie breaker, so I need more votes!!!!!!!  
  
Keep sending all those wonderful reviews!! I love them!!!!  
  
And one last thing, I need a beta, my grammar and especially my punctuation isn't so good, so anyone who would like to help me out, I'd love you forever!!!! 


	3. The madness of King Thranduil

"The Wanderers"

By: Tsuki no Lomelinde

            The votes are in! There will be no slash in this story! Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews, I loved them!! 

Nikki: When I get reviews I try to answer them, its fun!

Elfmage: Well, it's not slash, happy? What really got me to make it not slash were all of the cookies I've been offered * glances over at boxes upon boxes of cookies beside her chair* Yum!!!!!        

            Well, really the vote turned to slash, but since I had already wrote a lot of the story, I've decided to keep it as a friendship fic. Sorry to all those who voted slash! I'll write slash next time!

            Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Lord of the Rings! They belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. However, the characters that I created are mine; they are from my own imagination, so there! *sticks out tongue*

            Summary: Something horrible is happening in Mirkwood… Can it be saved? And what has happened to Legolas?

Chapter three: The madness of King Thranduil

            The group came up to the palace steps and started to climb them, but stopped when Shoran did not follow.

            "I can go with you no further," he said. "I am supposed to be out on patrol. I must go, the Orcs may return." He paused, and turned his head away from them. "Please, help my brother, I could not stand to lose another." And with that, the elven prince—the new heir to the throne—was gone.

            It was Elrond who led the group in. He had not been to Mirkwood for many centuries, but he still knew his way around. He led them through the many twisting halls until they came to a set of doors.

            The elven Lord of Imladris knocked, and paused, waiting for an answer. A few moments passed, and when no voice bade them enter, he raised his hand to try again but before a he could, they finally heard a voice.

            "Be gone! I will not leave this place! No one will take my son away from me, he is all that I have left!" the voice yelled.

            "Lord Thranduil! It is Lord Elrond of Imladris! Please open these doors! We only wish to help you!"

            Elladan grabbed the door handle and turned it…and to everyone's surprise, it opened.

            The group went into the room to find King Thranduil sitting by a window in a rocking chair, gently rocking in the sunlight; he had something cradled in his arms, presumably Legolas.

            "Stay here," Elrond told the group, as he didn't want Thranduil to get nervous with everyone approaching him.

            Elrond walked quietly, standing beside the elven king. "Thranduil?" he said gently. "Will you let me take a look at Legolas?" 

            Thranduil shifted slightly. Legolas was wrapped in a blanket, secure in his father's arms; the prince's eyes were vacant, his skin unusually pale, and (Elrond was relieved yet still worried to see) his breathing came in short gasps.

            "Why don't we lie him on the bed, he will be more comfortable that way," Elrond coaxed.

            Thranduil nodded wearily, so Elrond took the limp form from Thranduil and placed the young prince on the bed. Gently unwrapping the prince from the confines of the blanket, he began to check his body for injuries. He frowned at his findings; there was no physical mark on the prince but yet his body was burning with fever.

            Aragorn came up beside him. "Ada?" Elrond could hear the fear in his foster son's voice; he could also feel the stares of the others, waiting for him to tell them what ailed their friend.

            "He is not injured in any way that I can see, but he is burning with fever. I will do what I can, but I do not know what has caused this." He turned to the others. "There is nothing that you can do here right now, perhaps you should all go and rest, you all will need it."

            "I will not leave the elf; we have traveled to long and hard to leave him now," Gimli said.

            "I am not asking you go return to Rivendell, Master Gimli," Elrond said. "Only that you get some sleep or at least something to eat. Do not argue with me on that matter, when you are finished you may return here." Elrond turned to glare at his sons. "That includes the both of you," he said to the twins, who reluctantly obeyed, pulling Gimli out with them. Elrond turned to his remaining son. "Estel, don't try my patience." 

The man looked at him. "Ada…" 

            "Estel; don't. You will do no one any good, especially Legolas."

            Aragorn sighed. "Just…just take care of him Ada."

The elven Lord nodded. "I will do my best." 

            The man nodded sadly and left. Elrond turned to the king of Mirkwood, who looked at him warily.

            "Can you tell me what happened?" Elrond asked, gently.

            Thranduil nodded. "He's sick…"

_/Flashback/_

_            Shyla ran through the halls towards her fathers study, pulling open the door and running in. _

_Thruin was sitting at a desk reading some reports that scouts and sentries had turned in. "Father, it says here that Orcs were spotted by the border, we shall have to step up with the security." _

_            Thranduil nodded._

_            "Father," Shyla interrupted. "Legolas is ill; we need to send for a healer!"_

_            Thranduil looked up at his only daughter. "What is wrong with him?" he asked, alarmed._

_            "He is with fever, and very weary, Shoran is with him now."_

_            "I will send for a healer," Thranduil said and stood up. "Return to Legolas, I will be there in a moment."_

_            Shyla nodded and Thruin stood. "I will go with her, father." _

_            The King nodded, and with that all three of them left the room._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_            Shoran looked up as the door opened, and Shyla and Thruin walked in. Shyla stood beside the bed and Thruin went over and put his hand to Legolas' forehead. He frowned as he pulled his hand away._

_            "What could have caused this fever? Elves are not a race that can easily succumb to illness!"_

_            Shoran shrugged. "Is a healer coming?" he asked. _

_Shyla was about to answer him when the door opened and Thranduil walked in followed closely by the aforementioned healer._

_            "Never mind," said Shoran._

_            The healer examined the young elf, who stirred restlessly under his hands, but did not wake._

_            After a while the healer looked up at the anxious family members who stood around him. "I can find no cause for this fever. It would be best if someone who is more adept then I be sent for. I recommend Lord Elrond of Rivendell." The healer trailed off upon seeing the stormy look on Thranduil's face. He had known that Lord Elrond and King Thranduil did not get along well, but he thought that maybe they could put their differences aside, if only for the sake of Legolas. Quickly the healer fled._

_            "Father, we must do something for Legolas! We can not allow this fever to ravage his body!" Thruin said, gently stroking Legolas' hair._

_            The siblings watched as their father stormed out of the room, without saying a word to any of them._

_            "Perhaps…" Shyla started._

_            But Thruin shook his head. "Not yet, you can not disobey Ada. If Legolas is not well in another day's time, then you will ride to Rivendell."_

_            Shyla nodded, seeing the reason in what her eldest brother was saying, and sat down by Legolas' bed. "I will stay with him," she said._

_            Thruin and Shoran nodded, and left the room._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"I was too stubborn," Thranduil said. "To see that my son was dying. I let old rivalries cloud my judgment."

            Elrond placed his hand on the king's shoulder; there was nothing that he could think of to say.

            And so ends another chapter!!!!! I hope everyone liked it!!  I'll try to update again soon, but with exams this week… well you guys get the picture. **MIDTERMS ARE STUPID, THEY SERVE NO PURPOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry just needed to vent! ^_^**


	4. Memories Revealed

"The Wanderers"

By: Tsuki no Lomelinde

Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews!!!!! I loved them!!!! Personal messages are at the bottom!!!

And a special thanks to my wonderful Beta, Deana, for without her my grammar and punctuation would be horrible.

Disclaimer: As everyone should know, I don't own any of the characters of "Lord of the Rings" *sigh* if only I did… Anyway, I'm only borrowing them for a time; I'll give them all back in relatively good condition. However, the characters that I create are my own, they belong to me.

Summary: Something horrible is happening in Mirkwood… Can it be saved? And what has happened to Legolas?

Chapter 4: Memories Revealed

            Elrond made his way to the main hall, where he knew that Estel, Elladan, Elrohir and Gimli would be. He was correct; they were seated at a long table, sitting silently, not speaking. He could see the pained expressions on Elladan's and Elrohir's faces…he felt the same pain; it came from the trees, who took no rest from their mourning.

            His sons looked up when they heard him enter, as did Estel and Gimli, not having the advantage of elven hearing.

            "Ada?" Estel said.

            "I do not know the cause of this illness," Elrond said. "It is like nothing that I have ever seen before."

            "Is there nothing that you can do?" Elrohir asked, quietly.

            "I must first speak with Shoran, mayhap he can tell me more; I need to know when Legolas' symptoms first began," Elrond said.

            Elladan stood up. "I will go look for him, Ada."

            Elrond nodded, too tired to argue with his son, who left as soon as he had his father's approval. 

Only a few minutes passed until Elladan returned with Legolas' brother.

            "Lord Elrond, Elladan has told me of what you wish to know," Shoran said. "I will tell you all that I can. Six days ago, my sister and I noticed a tiredness about Legolas. He insisted that it was nothing, but we could see that he was also in pain. I decided to confront him…"

**            *Two days before a healer was summoned to the palace of Mirkwood***

            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_            "Legolas?" Shoran said to his youngest brother, who sat underneath a tree in the garden._

_            Legolas turned towards Shoran._

_            "I can see that you are ill my brother, will you not tells me what ails you?" Shoran said. "Shyla and I are worried for you, for elves do not easily succumb to illness."_

_            "Nothing ails me Shoran; do not worry so much, I am merely a bit tired," Legolas replied, and with that he stood.  Shoran almost grabbed for the younger elf when he swayed on his feet, but Legolas grabbed a tree branch and righted himself before walking away._

_            Shoran sighed. Something seemed wrong with Legolas since he'd returned from his latest patrol two days ago…_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

            "The pain he suffered from came from his chest, but he did not complain of it even when he was bedridden," Shoran said, quietly. "This continued for the next few days. Then the orcs attacked…it was night when they stole upon the woods. I will tell you of what happened to the best of my ability, for I did not see everything, and can only speculate as to what exactly happened…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_            Legolas sat up in his bed, clutching his chest. Shyla, who had remained by his side after the healer had left, woke up._

_            "Legolas?" she inquired, reaching out to him, but he shook his head and batted her hands away._

_            They both jumped slightly when they heard yells outside the window.  Shyla quickly went over to investigate and gasped at the sight that met her eyes; there was fire raging in the trees.  With her keen eyes she could see many orcs, and there were elves bravely battling them._

_            She turned back to Legolas, but paused when she heard footsteps. Running to where Legolas kept his weapons, she took out his twin knives and held them up, ready to defend her brother should harm come their way._

_            The door opened as Shoran slipped into the room. Shyla sighed in relief at seeing her twin._

_            "Shyla, I am sorry to ask this of you, but you must ride to Lothlorien!" Shoran said. "The orcs are great in number, and we must send the maidens and elflings away from this place! Mirkwood is in flames, you must lead them to safety!" _

_            "What of Legolas? He can not stay here, he is too ill to be fighting!" Shyla said._

_            Shoran turned to his youngest brother, who had stood up when he'd entered the room._

_            "Go and prepare to ride, Legolas shall go with you. Ready the horses; I will lock the door until your return. You must take him and ride as hard and fast as you can."_

_            "Nay, Shoran, I can fight!" Legolas exclaimed. "I will not be sent away like a child! This is my home and my people too!"_

_            "You shall go, Adar wishes it so. Do not argue," Shoran said, seeing that Legolas was about to protest._

_            Already weary from his argument, Legolas sat down on the bed._

_            Shoran took this as an agreement and he and Shyla left. Legolas heard the door lock behind them._

_            As soon as their footsteps could no longer be heard, Legolas stood up and grabbed his bow, quiver, and a dagger, for Shyla had taken his knives._

_            He also took a slight piece of metal, a lock pick, given to him by Elladan and Elrohir many years ago. He made little task of the lock and the door was soon open. Legolas strode down the hallway, bow notched with an arrow, hearing the sounds of battle and quickly coming to its source._

_            Thruin battled with many foes. Legolas could see that his brother was losing the fight, so he loosed his arrow at the orc who was preparing to attack him._

_            Thruin looked up for a moment, surprised to see Legolas standing there, but he could pay no more thought to it as the orcs came at him in a steady stream. Because of this, he did not see Legolas suddenly sway on his feet and nearly fall to the floor, before grabbing onto the wall for support. He let go only to shoot more orcs._

_            Suddenly the archer's vision grayed and he fell to his knees. Thruin saw his brother fall and rushed over to help; all of the orcs had finally fallen so he paid them no heed and knelt before Legolas. _

_            "Brother?" he inquired, softly._

_            Legolas shook his head. His bow fell to the ground as he clutched his chest and struggled to breathe._

_            Neither of them noticed an orc slowly get to its feet, clutching a dagger. With a swift yet clumsy motion, the orc suddenly thrust the dagger into Thruin's back._

_The crown prince gave a soft cry before falling forward, knocking both himself and Legolas to the ground. _

_The orc, feeling complete and utter ecstasy at his success in killing the heir to Mirkwood's throne, fell to the ground and did not move again._

_            Legolas, still struggling to breathe, pulled his brother into his arms. "Thruin?" he gasped._

_            "You must flee Legolas; I can no longer protect you," said Thruin, gasping with pain. "I am so sorry to leave you, my brother…" Thruin's eyes suddenly became vacant, and the valiant prince would never awaken again._

_            Legolas' eyes filled with tears, but he could not bring himself to heed his brother's command; he did not have the strength, so he sat there cradling the still body of his brother before darkness claimed him._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_            Shyla ran back to Legolas' room; the horses were ready, and she knew that time was of the essence. She came to an abrupt halt when she reached Legolas' door and found that it was open. She quickly ran in, but saw no sign of her ailing brother._

_            "Legolas?" she called warily, holding the twin knives in her grasp, all sorts of possible scenarios running though her mind. 'Could he have been captured? Is he lying hurt somewhere, or even…? No! I will not let myself think of such things!'  By chance, her gaze caught the empty place where Legolas' bow and quiver usually lay, and she reached the only obvious conclusion; her brother had gone to fight._

_            The princess was torn between wanting to search for Legolas, and knowing that she needed haste to reach Lothlorien, their closest ally. In the end she knew that she had to do her duty, and she turned and ran back towards the stables._

_            "Please, Elbereth, let him be safe…" she whispered, and rode out of Mirkwood._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_            Thranduil warily walked down the halls of his palace. He had killed many orcs, and now he frantically searched for his children. There was a darkness in his heart; he knew that something terrible had happened, and it terrified him._

_            He almost dropped his sword when he turned down a hall; many orcs lay slain about, but that was not what broke his heart. In the midst of the dead creatures lay two elven figures, one slumped over the other. Thranduil could plainly see the silver and crimson blood that flowed in the veins of the royal family of Mirkwood._

_            The King ran forward, his heart pounding with fear. He found the figure on top to be Legolas, and the other was Thruin. His heart shattered as he reached over and took Thruin into his arms, putting a hand to his neck and finding no pulse. As he laid the body of his eldest son upon the ground, his face went blank, emotionless, for a darkness had fallen over his mind, clouding his eyes until all he could see were the bodies of his two sons. He reached out to his other son and something flickered on the King's face. Legolas had a pulse; it was weak, but it fluttered beneath his fingertips. _

_Thranduil's face was still frighteningly blank as he scooped up Legolas' fragile form and carried him down the hall, heedless of the battle that continued to rage outside the palace, and heedless of the body of his eldest son, which still lay as he left it, arms across his chest and his sword by his side, his eyes open in death with the bodies of his slain foes around him…_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

            Shoran finished speaking and the Company just stared at him, shocked and saddened at the story. 

Elrond nodded. "So you say that the symptoms were noticed after Legolas returned from a patrol?"

            "Aye," Shoran said, sighing.

            "Did he encounter any trouble that day?"  Elrond continued to probe.

            "No. In his report, he said that nothing had happened, that he encountered no enemies. Do you suspect something Lord Elrond?"_  Shoran asked, his gaze hopeful._

            "Perhaps, but if he encountered no enemies, then I may be wrong. I have a suspicion that he was poisoned somehow…that is the only explanation that I can come up with. As we all know, elves do not easily become ill…" He trailed off, realizing that he was rambling.

            "Someone should sit with him at all times," Elrond continued. "Thranduil is there now, but he is exhausted and I will not willingly leave Legolas alone, his condition is very fragile.".

            Aragorn prepared to open his mouth as the first volunteer, but someone beat him to it.

            "I will sit with the elf for a time, for Aragorn is still weary from the journey, and you, Lord Elrond, and your sons are suffering from the mourning of the trees," Gimli said, gruffly. 

            Elrond nodded. "As you wish, Master Dwarf. The rest of us shall retire, but if you see any change in him, I will be in the next room."

            "I should like to at least see Legolas before I am shuffled off to bed like a child," Aragorn said. 

Elladan and Elrohir nodded, agreeing.

            "I too should like to see my brother before I sleep," Shoran said.

            Elrond sighed, but did not argue. He led them to the bedroom so they could see for themselves that Legolas was still alive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Whew! The next chapter is done!!!!!! Exams are over!!!!!!!!!   *jumps for joy*

            Thanks for all the wonderful reviews; it's what keeps me going! Well, that and the chocolate that my sister brings me when I start to get tired. *grins*

            Elfmage: Yum! Cookies and milk!

            Nikki: Thanks! I feel so touched! Technology stinks sometimes doesn't it!?

            Saihitei Seishuku: Thanks for putting me on your fav list!! *hugs*

            Sirnonenath, Wildfire2, Creeper, Cheysuli, and Saxaphonebaby: Thanks for the        

            wonderful reviews!!


	5. Unlikely Friends

"The Wanderers"

By: Tsuki no Lomelinde

            Well, another chapter, and I just wanna thank everyone who reviewed this story! I love you guys!!!!

            And a special thanks to my wonderful beta, Deana! Any mistakes that are still there after her careful editing are my own fault.

            Legolas: Tsuki no Lomelinde does not own The Lord of the Rings, or any of its characters. She does own the few minor characters that may randomly appear. 

            Tsuki no Lomelinde:  Thank you Legolas.

            Legolas: Yeah… You aren't going to torture me anymore are you?

            Tsuki no Lomelinde: ……………..

            Legolas: Right?

            Tsuki no Lomelinde: Yeah… right, about that…  Sorry not going to happen, I like torturing you too much. Mostly so I can lovingly nurse you back to health.  ^_^

            Legolas: …………. -_-

            Summary: The Orcs are gone, but a darkness still lingers in Mirkwood, and no one knows what's wrong with Legolas. Can he be saved?

Chapter 5: Unlikely Friends

            Gimli sat in the sunlit room, quietly watching his unaware charge. Legolas hadn't moved since he'd been here, since Elrond had brought them all in to assure themselves that the young prince was still alive.

            Gimli reached out and touched the limp hand, but Legolas did not stir. After being with Legolas during the quest with the One Ring, it had unnerved him that the elf slept with his eyes open. Now, it was painful to see the elf with his eyes _closed_. 

            The dwarf reached out towards the bedside table and grabbed a wet cloth from a bowl; gently he laid it on Legolas' forehead in an effort to alleviate the fever that raged within his slender form. Gimli nearly dropped the cloth when Legolas turned his head towards him; the elf's eyes were open, if only a little glassy from the aforementioned fever. 

            "Gimli? What are you doing here?" Legolas managed to croak, his voice raspy from disuse.

            "We're here to look after you, you silly elf!" was the gruff reply, but it was softened by the smile Gimli gave.

            "We?" Legolas questioned, sounding confused and groggy.

            "Yes, we; Aragorn, Lord Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir. We all traveled from Rivendell when we got word that all was not right here."

            Legolas smiled, and Gimli stood. "I must go and get Lord Elrond," he said, and was gone.

            Legolas sighed, trying to remember what had transpired, and how he had ended up in bed. It all came rushing back to him…Shyla telling him he was sick, hearing the attack on Mirkwood…he also remembered disobeying Shyla and Shoran by leaving the room to fight, but that's where it ended. How had he ended up back in bed? What was the outcome of the battle, and where were his siblings?

            The young elf was torn from his thoughts when Gimli returned with Lord Elrond. The elven lord smiled when he saw Legolas awake.

            "How are you feeling, Legolas?" Elrond said and laid his hand on the younger elf's forehead. He frowned at the heat radiating from the elf.

            "I am fine…" Legolas trailed off when he saw the warning look in Elrond's eyes, and gave a sigh. "I am weary, and I have pain in my chest," Legolas put his hand on his sternum, indicating the location. "And I must admit that I feel chilled."

            Elrond nodded, and felt for the pulse in Legolas' wrist. The Healer flinched at the icy feeling of the prince's hands.

            "What has happened? Where are my brothers and Shyla, and Ada?" Legolas asked, worry tingeing his weary voice.

            Elrond paused, unsure of how much he should tell the fragile prince.

            "Lord Elrond?" Legolas prompted, his anxiety growing.

            "I am sorry Legolas, but Thruin was slain," Elrond said, as gently as he could. "Shyla has ridden to Lothlorien for aid, and Shoran is sleeping, as is Lord Thranduil."

            Legolas turned his head away from the elven lord.

            "Legolas?" Elrond questioned. When the prince didn't respond, Elrond gently grasped the younger elf's chin and made Legolas face him. "Your brother battled bravely, he is in the Halls of Mandos now. I am sorry that he is gone, but sometimes it happens. We do not have the power to change fate."  

            Legolas only nodded, his expression blank. Elrond gave a slight smile and stood.

            "I would like to go to the gardens, please," Legolas whispered.

            "You should stay in bed…" Elrond trailed off, for he saw the pleading look in Legolas' eyes. He sighed. "Fine, but only if Gimli accompanies you. I do not want you to be on your own, not with this fever."

            Legolas sighed but nodded his agreement. The young elf tried to sit up but lacked the strength; he frowned, tears welling in his eyes at his weakness. _No, I will not cry; they have already seen enough weakness from me!_

            Elrond stroked Legolas' hair gently. "It is alright, you are still very weary, and your body has been through much." Without waiting for a response, Lord Elrond scooped the younger elf into his arms, blanket and all. 

Legolas gave a slight gasp of surprise and made to protest, but Gimli stopped him.

            "You _said_ that you wanted to go to the gardens," the dwarf said, slyly.

            Legolas frowned and declined to respond, ceding the victory to his dwarven friend.

            In only a few moments they were outside and Elrond set the young prince down in front of a tree. The elven lord straightened suddenly and strained his ears, but he heard nothing.

            "What is it?" Legolas asked, as Gimli jumped up grabbing his axe from his belt in case of a sudden attack.

            "The trees, they have quieted," Elrond whispered, so lightly that Gimli almost missed it.

            The elder elf shook his head, as if to dispel something. "Stay here, I will go tell the others that Legolas is awake." 

            Gimli nodded, and flopped gracelessly down beside his friend.

            Elrond left, his light elven steps carrying him quickly away to the palace, as the two unlikely friends remained under the leafy branches of the tree.

            "I am weary, mellon-nin. It plagues me so, and nothing makes it abate," Legolas suddenly whispered, tiredly.

            "Then rest your head on my shoulder my friend, perhaps it may help," Gimli replied, surprised that the elf's pride allowed him to admit such a thing.

            Legolas smiled softly and complied, leaning slightly so that his fair head rested on Gimli's shoulder and they both sat there for a time, just enjoying the other's company.

Meanwhile back in the palace…….

            _He ran through the halls; they were unfamiliar, but he continued to run…he was looking for something, but it eluded him._

            "Legolas!" he cried. He could hear a voice echoing in the halls and headed towards it, but it continued to get more and more distant. Suddenly, oozing hands clamped over his mouth…

            Aragorn sat up with a start, looking around the room wildly. _It was only a dream,_ he thought to himself. _But, just to be sure…_

            The ranger leapt nimbly from the bed, grabbed his sword and pulled open his door, dashing down the hall towards Legolas' room. His heart raced as he pulled open the door; fear came into his heart when he found the room empty.

            He was just about to raise a call of alarm when he heard a sudden voice.

            "Estel, what are you doing?"

            The ranger whirled around, coming face to face with Lord Elrond. "Legolas… Gimli… they're gone!" 

            Elrond shook his head, "No Estel, Legolas woke up and wanted to go to the gardens, Gimli is with him."

            Aragorn sighed in relief, letting out the breath that he didn't even realize he was holding.

            "Come, I will take you to them," Elrond said. 

Aragorn quickly followed him through the halls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Sorry sorry sorry!!!!!! I know it's short, and kinda fluffy, but this particular little plot bunny has been annoying me for a while and I just needed to write it.  It's for everyone who wanted a fluffy little Gimli/Legolas friendship scene. Anyway…I'll pick up with the rest of the story soon, I promise! Lots of angst ahead. *Grins evilly* I know I shouldn't, but what can I say, torturing Legolas is fun! 

            Tsuki no Lomelinde ^_^

            Nikki: I just wanna say thanks, you are an awesome reviewer, I appreciate that you review each and every chapter! *hugs*

            Saxaphonebaby: Gold? Who cares about Gold! Just keep sending me all those wonderful reviews!

            Wildfire2: I loved the review! I updated as soon as I could!

            Bballstar42: While I appreciate your review, I feel that it is up to the author to mold a character to their own views. While J.R.R. Tolkien didn't feel the need to have slash in his novels (as it would have been viewed as wrong by many readers of his time, or he may not have believed in it.) It is up to the author's discretion as to whether or not they want to make their own story which they have created with their own imagination as slash. I hope I don't come off as rude, but that is how I feel; I have nothing against slash, a lot of slash stories are nice. Before you flame me, I just wanted to let you know of my opinion and my views on the matter. 

                                                            Thank You


	6. A growing darkness A dying light

The Wanderers

By: Tsuki no Lomelinde

Disclaimer: No matter how much I wish that I did, I do not own any of the characters of The Lord of the Rings; and never will, however any characters that I create belong to me and no one else. The song that I butchered, (World on Fire) belongs to Sarah McLachlan. This story was created for entertainment purposes and no money is being made. 

Summary: Legolas is getting sicker, can he be saved? And who is the mysterious maiden and her companion?

Chapter 6: A Growing Darkness, A Dying Light

~Three great Lights

Were born by the valor

In the age of awakening

To watch over Middle Earth forever

One bound to the lands of the Undying

The second to travel by east and west

And the last bound to Middle Earth until its last breath

Three bound to lead and protect

Immortal yet still seeing death

The sun the moon and the stars all bright

Taking up an endless fight

An enemy in defiance of their very being

A darkness an emptiness an evil all seeing~

"Prophesy of Light"

In the "Book of Remembrance"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lord Elrond led the group to the gardens where he'd left Gimli and Legolas, King Thranduil looked at the other elven lord with haunted eyes.

"Do you know what ails my son?" he asked.

Elrond could only shake his head, wishing that he had a better answer for the king.

They came upon the pair, sitting exactly where Elrond had left them, except that Legolas' head rested on Gimli's shoulder and the young elf was singing softly. The pair looked like something out of a story; the gruff dwarf was still wearing his armor, and Legolas was clothed only in his flowing white night shirt, which was delicately embroidered, and flowed nearly past his feet. 

Gimli and Legolas looked up at their approach, and Legolas ceased his singing.

King Thranduil rushed over to sit by his son. "Ion nîn…?" 

"I am well, ada," Legolas replied, giving his father a slight tired smile, before the question had even been finished.

The group sat down. Elladan and Elrohir sat by their father, Shoran sat by Thranduil, and Aragorn sat by Gimli.

They stayed like this for some time just enjoying one another's company, and trying to forget about all of the death and destruction, if only for a little while.

It was Legolas who broke the silence. His soft voice filled the air as he sang; it was a song filled with sorrow, making tears came unbidden to Aragorn's eyes…

The world is on fire, its more then I can handle  
I'll tap into the water, try and bring my share  
Try to bring more, more then I can handle   
Bring it to you  
Bring what I am able  
  
Hearts are worn in these dark ages  
You're not alone in these story's pages  
The light has fallen amongst the living and the dying  
And I'll try to hold it in   
 I'll try to hold it in  
   
I watch the heavens but I find no calling  
Something I can do to change what's coming  
Stay close to me while the sky's falling  
I don't wanna be left alone, don't wanna be alone…   
  


His clear voice faded and silence once again filled the gardens.

"Why do you sing of such sorrows, ion nîn?" Thranduil asked, turning to his youngest son.

Legolas turned away from his father's gaze. "It just seemed to fit."

Thranduil only nodded, hurt that his son turned away, but also worried as to the reason.

"Elrond, do you know what ails my son?" Thranduil said, turning his gaze to the elven lord.

Elrond sighed. "Not as of yet, but I am working on it." 

Suddenly Shoran pulled himself to his feet. "I am afraid that I must take my leave for the moment, I must patrol the border."

Thranduil nodded, "Be careful, ion nîn." 

Shoran nodded. "I will."

Elladan and Elrohir stood up. "We shall join him," Elladan stated.

Elrond cast a wary eye over his sons. "You will be careful also?" he asked.

The twins grinned, "Of course Ada," they chorused, and followed Shoran out of the garden.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two figures stood in a forest, at the very borders of Mirkwood. If anyone had been there to witness this secret conference, they would have seen two elves standing close together.

"We cannot let this continue," the smaller one, a female said. "The darkness is too strong for us to battle with alone. I have Seen the darkness." (a/n: Seen is capitalized for a reason. Seen: meaning she has cognitive powers and saw a future event.) "It is growing, soon it will swallow everything and we will be powerless to stop it." 

The other nodded. "I know."

"Is that all that you have to say?"

"Yes, there is nothing that we can do at this moment. They must find their own way; we can not stay the hands of fate." 

She put her head down. "I know, forgive me mellon nîn?"

He smiled impishly. "Of course, I know that you are worried. We can not stop fate, but perhaps…we can alter her course…"

She caught on immediately to his plan "You are cunning, mellon nîn," she said with a smile.

"I know," he replied.

"And not very modest," she muttered.

"Come, we will set my plan into motion as soon as we retrieve my errant companion," he told her with a playful grin, and with a laugh he ran off into the forest, leaving the maiden, who after a moment turned her gaze to the dark empty sky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun had just begun to set. Gimli had gone inside a while ago, just after the twins and Shoran had returned, and Elrond could hear the four laughing over some tale. Aragorn was dozing nearby, since he was unwilling to leave Legolas' side and return to his room. Legolas had fallen asleep some time ago and Thranduil was holding his son close.

"We should return to the palace, it is beginning to get cold," Elrond said. Thranduil nodded and both elven lords attempted to rouse their sons. 

Aragorn muttered incoherently, but did not awaken. Elrond sighed; in no mood to deal with Aragorn he merely scooped the man into his arms. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Thranduil mimic his actions and pick up Legolas. The two made their way back into the palace.

Having placed Aragorn in his room, Elrond made his way to Legolas' chambers. The door was open when he arrived, so he entered, and smiled at the scene before him.

Thranduil was gently stroking Legolas' silver hair. The young prince's hair had always been a marvel, for most elves had blond hair, or brown in the case of Elrond and his children, but Legolas was different; all of his siblings had vibrant blond hair, yet Legolas had silver. No one had ever figured out why. 

Elrond made his way over to the bed and placed his hand on Legolas' forehead. He recoiled in surprise, for the heat radiating off the elf's body was even more pronounced.

"Thranduil?" he asked.

"It started rising about an hour ago, just after he fell asleep," the king replied to the unvoiced question, his voice a mere whisper.

"And you did not think to inform me?" Lord Elrond hissed, shocked.

"You do not know what it is, so what can you do?"

"I can try and lower the fever," Elrond stated.

"He always looked like his mother," Thranduil suddenly said, wistfully, apparently having not heard Elrond.

Elrond nodded, trying to placate the king. "I know."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~__

_Flashback_

_Lady Lyetha wailed in the pain of childbirth. Her husband King Thranduil hovered close by; it had been a hard pregnancy, for both of them._

_"Come on Lyetha, push, just a few more and it will be over," Elrond soothed._

_She gritted her teeth, and used all of her strength, and then the baby was in Elrond's bloody hands._

_Thranduil ran his fingers through his wife's hair. "You did it, Lyetha!" he said, gently._

_Lyetha smiled, but then turned away from her husband. "Lord Elrond?" she said fearfully, straining her ears for any sound. "He's not crying? Why isn't he crying?" she asked, her voice shaking._

_"Elrond?" Thranduil asked, leaving his wife to come over to the elven lord._

_Suddenly a wail broke the silence. Elrond breathed a sigh of relief, and wrapped the child in a blanket._

_"He wasn't breathing, but I got him back. It's a boy, you have a new son," Elrond said, handing the child to his mother._

_"He's beautiful!" she breathed, taking the child into her arms._

_"Thank you, Lord Elrond," Thranduil said, standing next to his wife, to see the child. When he did his head shot back up in surprise._

_"Lord Elrond? His hair…it's…"_

_"I know, I do not understand it myself," the elven lord responded._

_"He's beautiful," Lyetha repeated, looking meaningfully at her husband. "It does not matter the color of his hair, he is alive and healthy. Is he not, Lord Elrond?"_

_            Elrond just nodded, his thoughts already drifting elsewhere._

_            "He looks just like you, Lyetha," Thranduil whispered, and kissed the top of his wife's head._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

A/N: Just to let everyone know, I know that Legolas' hair is blonde, but for the purpose of my story his hair is silver, it will mean something later. I promise. Also, the prophesy in the beginning belongs to me, because I made it up. ^_^

I'm sorry! I know that it's short! I'm trying really I am, but with SAT's approaching and the hundreds of papers I have to write for my classes, I'm a little short on time. I'll try to update as soon as I can. Please keep sending me all of those wonderful reviews! It's the only thing that keeps me going with this story.


	7. Strange Aquaintances

"The Wanderers"

By: Tsuki no Lomelinde

            Disclaimer: As you are all probably aware by now, I do not own the characters of The Lord of the Rings, no matter how much I want to. But the few unimportant characters that I made up, are mine, I created them from the strange place that is my imagination. If you want to post this story elsewhere please ask first, I'll probably say yes, but it would be nice if you asked first. Also a quick little note, the "Book of Remembrance" is also my creation, a made it all up because I thought it would add a nice little touch. I'm just letting everyone know that it's not something

            All mistakes that are still in this story after Deana's (my wonderful beta) careful and thorough fixing and editing, are all my fault and I apologize for them. 

            All notes to my wonderful faithful reviewers are at the bottom! Enjoy!

            Summary: A strange elf has entered Mirkwood. What does he want? And how does he know Legolas?

Chapter 7: Strange Acquaintances

~ Three chosen to defend the gates

Three together have chosen this fate

Three of light against darkness stand

One of the purest white

The second of silver

And the last of gold

One chose a companion 

In an alliance of old

The second alone

Messenger to all

The last chose life

No memory prevail

Until the time

Of darkness unveiled. ~

                                    Prophesy of Lights

                        In the "Book of Remembrance"

            The shadow sat on his dark throne and watched. Everything was going according to plan; the Prince of Mirkwood would soon be dead, and with him, all of Middle Earth would fall, leaving only darkness and creatures that thrived in that environment. And he would rule it all, with an iron grip, destroying all that opposed him.

            All of these dark dreams would happen, but only if he could keep those two meddlers out of it, and that was proving to be a difficult task. The two had already met in council, and his sight would not allow him to know of their plans.

            A servant entered the room, a small insignificant being, but they had their uses.

            "My Lord," the creature said, in its simpering, oily voice, and paused, waiting for the command to continue. When none came, he began to speak again anyway. "The armies are ready to move out."

            "Then send them forth," the master replied, and the servant fled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Shyla, if you remember, was riding to Lothlorien for help. She arrived without any mishaps, and Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn readily agreed to send troops; they would arrive at Mirkwood by the dawn of tomorrow. She was frantic with worry over her brothers…she had a horrible feeling that she would never see them all together again. She hated to feel morbid but she couldn't stop the nagging feeling that everything was going to go wrong.

            Suddenly there was a flash of bright light. Some of the elves cried out, as the flash had hurt their sensitive eyes. The light cleared, and everyone was surprised to see a young elven maiden standing before them.

            "Who are you?" Lord Celeborn asked, his voice commanding.

            The maiden was dressed in colors that would blend in with the forest, and her cloak was elven gray, while pure white hair flowed nearly down to her knees.

            "I am Lomelinde, the messenger. You must make all haste to Mirkwood, the darkness is growing stronger."

            "How have you come to know this?" Lord Celeborn asked.

            She shrugged. "I am the messenger. I come with news, though it may not be to your liking. Prince Thruin is dead, slain by the Orcs, and Prince Legolas may not live to see the battle through. Aid will come at sunset, in two days time. Look to the sky, the light of Middle Earth will shine again! But of this great occurrence may come sorrow… or perhaps not. The way is unclear. You would do well to heed the warnings Lord Celeborn, for if the darkness prevails all of Middle Earth will succumb to it." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            The elf silently made his way through the forest. Not a sound was made by his footsteps; his companion on the other hand, was a different story.

            "Can't you move any quieter?" the elf hissed.

            "Sorry lad, but as you must have realized, I am not an elf, nor will I ever be," his companion replied.

            The elf nearly laughed at his companion's sarcasm and said, "Just try my friend; I would hate to alert the patrols of our arrival, and with the way you've been stomping through the forest, I'm surprised that we haven't been discovered already."

            His companion merely muttered something about silly elves, and said nothing else.

            The elf turned his thoughts elsewhere, to the darkness that had engulfed Mirkwood. He could feel the coldness of it but he pushed it back; he could not spare the time. 

            The two companions came to a stop at the edge of the palace walls. The elf looked around for any signs of a threat, and finding none he nimbly scaled the wall and threw a rope down to his companion.

            Once on the other side they found themselves in a garden.

            "Well, which way do we go Laliath?" 

            The elf spared a glance for his companion, before pointing towards the left. "That way." And they made their way through the garden. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Legolas sat up in bed, gasping for breath. Startled by the sudden movement, Elrond woke up from his place beside the bed.

            "Legolas?" the elven lord asked, belatedly realizing the foolishness of his question, as Legolas was incapable of answering.                    

            Elrond grabbed some dried herbs that he'd placed on a table next to the bed, and crushed them, making a fine powder. He blew the powder in Legolas' face, and almost instantly the younger elf's breathing eased and his eyes took on a blank quality before sliding shut.

            Elrond sighed. He hated to do that, but it was the only option he had left. The young prince was running out of time, and Elrond was out of ideas.

            He stood up and began pacing the room, but suddenly stopped; his keen elven hearing picked up a sound from outside the window. Carefully he edged over, so as not to alert the intruders. He was started at the sight of an elf and a dwarf attempting to quietly make their way through the garden. The elf was tall and slender, as most elves were, his blonde hair swinging gently as he crept along. He had a bright glow around him, brighter then any that Elrond had ever seen before. The dwarf was barricaded in armor that glinted dully in the light of the single torch that adorned the wall of the palace, a battle-axe much like Gimli's hung in his belt.

            Elrond watched them for a moment; it was quite unusual to see an elf and a dwarf keeping the same company, with the exception of Gimli and Legolas of course. He was torn away from his thoughts when the dwarf began to speak.

            "Well, we finally made it, no thanks to your navigating skills."

            The elf glared at his companion. "Well perhaps if you weren't talking and complaining all the time, I might have been able to concentrate better. Come, we must find him, we can do nothing standing here arguing," the elf said and turned on his heel.

            "Do you even know where to begin looking?" the dwarf asked, glaring at his companion's back.

            "Yes, as a matter of fact I do," the elf said, and began walking away. The dwarf grumbled but followed.

            Elrond slipped out the window. His feet hit the ground making nary a sound, and he began to follow the two companions.

            "Laliath?" the dwarf asked.

            "What now Coran?" the elf said, exasperated with his companion.

            "How is it that you know where you are going? Have you ever even set foot inside Mirkwood before?"

            Laliath answered somewhat guiltily. "It's not my territory…" 

            "So I repeat, how do you know where we are going?"

            "I have my sources." 

            "Fine, be secretive."

            The elf grinned. "I believe I shall, but perhaps if Lord Elrond emerged from the shadows I might be persuaded to tell."

            Elrond stepped out of his hiding place, surprised, and walked towards the two, his every step cautious. 

            Laliath bowed to Elrond. "My Lord," he said.

            "Who are you?" Elrond demanded.

            "I am Laliath, and this is my companion Coran. We hail from the Old Forest and are here to aid our friend Legolas," the elf said, looking Lord Elrond fully in the eye. "You would do well to accept our help Lord Elrond, for we know that you can do nothing about the illness that plagues the prince of Mirkwood."

            "How is it that you would be able to help?" Elrond questioned, still wary of the two.

            The elf smiled, and shook his head. "I am afraid that I cannot tell you just yet. But please, you have to trust us; you don't have any other option."

            Elrond sighed. Laliath was right, and his instinct was telling him that he could trust these two strangers. "All right."

            Laliath smiled. "I knew that you'd see it my way."

            Elrond led them through the gardens to the main hall, where Gimli sat snoring in a chair by the fire and Elladan and Elrohir sat quietly talking.

            The twins and Shoran looked up when their father entered the hall.

            "Ada?" Elladan asked, "What were you doing outside?"

            "And who are your companions?" Elrohir said, arching a delicate eyebrow.

            "I am Laliath, and this is my companion Coran. We are here to help. A great darkness has arisen and it must be stopped."

            "And just how exactly do you plan to do that?" Gimli said. The elves turned to look at him; none of them had realized that he had awoken.

            "All will be revealed in time," Laliath said in his lilting voice, and began to make his way down the hall. Everyone hurried after him.

            Laliath opened the door to Legolas' room and strode in. The group of elves and dwarves followed him, curious and a little wary.

            "What are you doing?" Shoran asked, but his words went unheeded.

            Laliath went over to Legolas' bed, and called to the sleeping prince. "Legolas, awaken! The night skies are dark without you!" 

The young prince did not stir.

            "You cannot wake him, the herbs will last a good while still," Elrond said, but Laliath ignored him.

            "Awaken, young one! Or all of Middle Earth will succumb to the darkness, and the three will crumble and fall!"

            To everyone's surprise, except Laliath of course, Legolas' eyes fluttered open and looked around, confused.

            "Well! Good morning to you Prince Legolas!" Laliath said, with a slight laugh.

            Elrond strode over to the young prince and placed a hand on his forehead.

            "He is still with fever," he said, shooting a glance at Laliath.

            "But you said that you would help him!" Shoran said, not without a hint of anger in his words.

            "There is nothing that can be done at this moment, I'm afraid," Laliath said in his patient manner. The elf turned to Legolas. "Lomelinde is waiting, it will begin soon." 

Legolas nodded and attempted to get to his feet, but the twins grabbed him and held him in place.

            "Elladan, Elrohir, let me go," said the soft voice of the elven prince, but the twins didn't let go. "Please? You do not understand! He will be here soon! We must stop him!" Legolas struggled, but he was weak from the fever, and the twins kept a firm grip on him.

            Both Coran and Gimli unconsciously put a hand on their weapons, and Elrond spun around to look at Laliath.

            "Care to explain all of this to me?" he said.

            "If you think that I should tell you then I shall. As you have noticed, the stars have been hidden for some time, even when the nights are clear, and even the light of the sun and the moon are growing dim. The darkness is growing stronger, and the light is growing weaker. Legolas' help is required to stop the threat." 

            "Elladan, Elrohir, go wake Estel and Thranduil," Elrond said.

            The twins released Legolas, who made no move to stand again, and hurried to obey their father.

            "How can Legolas help?" Shoran said. "He is ill!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Aragorn stood at the edge of Mirkwood. It was dusk, or so he thought. He could hear the sounds of battle, and see it in the distance; he groped for where his sword hung at his hip, and found that it wasn't there. He was alone and defenseless. 

            Suddenly, a burst of light shot out from the midst of the battlefield. Two others joined it, and slowly the sounds of the battle faded. Aragorn could see Orcs fall silently to the ground, and their surprised opponents stood there, confused. They all turned towards the beams of light, watching in awe as a great shadow was wiped out of existence and dawn breached the horizon.

            Aragorn ran out onto the field, his heart pounding in terror. The lights faded, and he saw something fall to the ground.

            He walked past the bodies of the Orcs. They were dead, and not worth his attention. He continued running, single-minded in his task, before coming to a halt; there on the ground before him was the young elven messenger who had told them to fly to Mirkwood; Lomelinde. Her eyes were closed, in death. There were no marks on her, but he knew that she was dead. He continued past her, and a little ways away he came upon another body, an elf he didn't recognize, with almost glowing golden hair. He was dead too, except that his eyes were wide open and blank. But still Aragorn continued on. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he felt in his heart that it would not be something that he wanted to see.

            Aragorn stopped. Before him, lying on the ground was Legolas; his silver hair and pale skin glowing in the soft light of dawn. He had an ethereal look, lying there, still in his night robes. Aragorn rushed to his fallen friend, begging any powers that might be listening not to take his friend from him, but he felt, with a horrible sinking feeling in his heart that Legolas was already dead. He cradled the still form in his arms…

            "Estel! Estel, wake up now!"

            Aragorn was jolted from his horrible dream by Elladan, who was shaking him none too gently. 'Why is Elladan here? Has something happened?' "What is wrong? Is Legolas all right?" Aragorn asked, fear rising within him.

            "Legolas is fine for the moment. A stranger has come who says that he can help him! Ada said to wake you," Elladan told him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            A/N: I'm so sorry that it's been so long since my last post. I am having some serious writers block with this one.  I'll try and make the next chapter longer.

            And one more thing, see that little button on the bottom of the screen? You do? Good. Press it and send me a nice little review, I need reviews!!!!! Or the next chapter may take even longer.

And thanks to everyone who reviewed!! I love all of you!!

Nightshadow131:Thanks for adding me to your favs list!!!!

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Saxaphonebaby: Diamonds? Who needs diamonds? Now chocolate would be a good idea ^_^

Yo yo: Thanks for the review!!!

manders1953: Your right, who cares if I make his hair silver or not! Thanks for the support!!

MorierBlackleaf: Well here it is!!!

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Discombobulated cheese: Well, here it is! Happy? ^_^


	8. And so it begins

"The Wanderers"

By: Tsuki no Lomelinde

Disclaimer: Can't I pretend they belong to me? No? Oh well… thought I'd ask...

Any mistakes found after the careful editing of my most wonderful beta Deana, are completely my fault.

Summary: Legolas and Laliath have disappeared, and with the ever-growing darkness approaching, 

the others are more then a little worried

Chapter 8: And so it begins…..

            ~And they were known as The Wanderers 

            For they never remained in one place

             They knew that they were born for one purpose 

            And one purpose alone,

            Children of light 

            In darkness despair

            Guardians for all eternity

            Fight on

            Dawn will soon arise

            And with it shall come joyous exclamations

            The darkness will fall, gone forever

            And with it the saviors

            The trees will wail in sorrow

            For the children they loved will never awake…~

                                    The Prophesy of Lights

                                    "The Book of Remembrance" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Aragorn burst into the room with Thranduil, Elladan, and Elrohir on his heels. 

Elrond looked up, and beckoned them into the room. The King of Mirkwood made his way to his son's bedside, and sat on the edge while the twins, Aragorn, and Shoran sat on various pieces of furniture and the two Dwarves remained standing. 

Laliath nodded to Thranduil, and continued with his words. 

"As I was saying, a long time ago—a long time even in the view of the elves—Manwe and Varda bore three children; they graced the world in the form of the Eldar, and remained that way. They were curious, and desired to learn about everything…not just about the confines of Valinor, but of Middle Earth also. When they came of age, the three desired to leave and wander Middle Earth. Manwe gave them permission, for he loved his children, but to leave they had to have a purpose in Middle Earth. He gave each of them a task; the eldest would be Guardian of the Sun, and would wander, bringing laughter to all that he met. The second would be Guardian of the Moon, and as the moon heralded messages in its depths, so would she, as a messenger to all who needed her. The third and youngest would be Guardian of the stars of Middle Earth, and his task would be to protect the land, to be a light to all who were lost or in danger. 

And so the three went forth, and learned all that they could about Middle Earth. Generations of men passed, and the three became weary of the sorrows and destruction that they saw. The Guardian of the Sun finally became overwhelmed by it and went to Manwe. 'Father,' he said, 'I have grown weary of the loneliness of this world, I am forlorn, for I bring laughter to all, but there is no one to bring laughter to me. I can not return to Valinor, for even that will hold no joy for me.' 

Manwe looked upon the child and said, 'Then I shall give you a companion. My brother Aule has created a race1; from them you shall receive someone to give you joy.' And so it was done, a companion was given. The child agreed and left. 

Time passed, and soon the second child grew weary of Middle Earth, so, the Guardian of the Moon went to Manwe. 'Father,' she said, 'I grow weary of this world, for all of the sorrowful messages that I am made to carry. Yes there is joy in some of them, but not enough to lift my heart.' 

Manwe looked at his child; 'I cannot give you a companion, for who could keep up with your pace? But I can give you rest. Whenever your heart grows weary of this world, you may pass to the West, to the Lands of the Undying. But you must return when you are needed to carry the messages.' The child agreed, and left. 

"Time passed, and soon the third child grew weary of Middle Earth and went to Manwe. 'Father,' he said. 'I grow weary of this world, for I am sorely grieved. I cannot protect all, for if the hand of fate is on them, I can do nothing to save them.' Manwe nodded, hearing the words of wisdom from the child. 'Alas,' he said, 'I do not know what I can give you. I cannot send you to the West, for your sister is there, and I have no companion to give to you.' The child hung his head in sorrow. 

'Perhaps I can be of some service,' Mandos said, for he had come into Manwe's chambers, and it was such a rare occurrence that Manwe listened to his brother. 

'When you grow weary of your duty, and your heart is grieved, you shall fade away, only to be reborn again. You will have no memory of the past life, and your soul and strength will be renewed.' 

The child agreed, and so it came to pass." 

Everyone started at Laliath, fascinated at the story. 

"And the point of that tale was…?" Elladan asked. 

Laliath arched a delicate eyebrow. "The point?" he parroted. "The point was to inform you that the three are all together again on Middle Earth." 

"You are one of them, aren't you, unless I am mistaken?" 

Laliath nodded. "You are correct. Coran is my companion." 

"I remember reading the tale in the 'Book of Remembrance', said Elrond. "If you are the one with the companion, then the maiden is the messenger…but who is the last?" 

A quiet voice spoke up. "I am." 

They all turned to Legolas, who was sitting up in his bed. 

"No… no it can not be so!" Thranduil said, whirling to face Laliath, "He is _my_ son!" There was a mix of anger and fear in the king's face. 

Laliath refused to meet Thranduil's eyes. 

"Ada," Legolas said. "It is true; I am the last, and I am prepared to face my destiny." 

"But _I_ am not ready to let you face it!" Thranduil said, sorrowfully. 

Legolas didn't answer. 

The others stood in silence, trying to absorb all that they had heard. 

Gimli was confused. What did this all mean? 

Legolas turned from his unrelenting father, to Lord Elrond. 

"Please," he begged in a feeble whisper. "I must, the darkness will only continue to grow." 

Elrond was saved from answering by the sound of the city's warning bell being rung. They all jumped up and groped for their weapons. Only Legolas remained where he was, still looking imploringly at Elrond. 

Shoran pulled the door open and stopped a guard who was running down the hall. "What is happening?" 

"A dark army marches towards us from the South, my prince!" The guard replied. "They should reach us in about a day and a half!" 

"Assemble our army and be ready to march in one hour's time!" Shoran told him, and went back into the room, knowing that his order would be followed. 

"What is happening?" Thranduil asked upon seeing his son. 

"A dark army marches on us from the south; I have taken the liberty of preparing the army." 

Thranduil nodded. "We all must begin to prepare." The King of Mirkwood began delegating tasks, and everyone ran to do his bidding. Only Legolas and Laliath remained. 

"I know what must be done," Legolas said to the other elf. "And I am prepared to do it." 

Laliath smiled slightly at the young prince. "I am glad that you feel so confident. Alas, I fear that I am not as valiant as you, but we will do what we must. That is, we will as soon as Lomelinde decides to grace us with her presence." 

Legolas merely nodded, not even bothering to smile at the other elf's attempt of humor. Legolas suddenly saw a glimmer in the corner of his eye, and turned to face it. The glimmer quickly grew and solidified into the form of a young maiden. 

"Ah, Lomelinde! We were just speaking of you!" Laliath said, his voice light. 

The maiden arched a delicate eyebrow. "I am sure you were," she replied. "We must leave now. I have done my best to warn Shyla of what is to come, but we can only hope that the message is heeded." 

She and Laliath stood beside the bed and hauled Legolas to his feet, where he leaned heavily on the two elves. 

"We must move quickly, they will return soon, and we must be gone by then," said Laliath. 

Lomelinde and Laliath supported Legolas as the three made their way to the door. 

"Wait!" Legolas suddenly said. "I need to leave them a note. They have to know that I did this of my own free will. I…I can't leave without saying goodbye." 

Laliath nodded, and they set Legolas down in a nearby chair. Lomelinde handed him a piece of paper, ink, and a quill. 

Quickly, Legolas began to write. Within a few moments he finished writing, and folded the paper. Lomelinde and Laliath helped him to his feet, and the three fled, undetected, from the palace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Gimli made his way through the halls, towards Legolas' room. He had a funny feeling that something big was going to happen, something that was going to involve those foolish elves: Legolas and Laliath. As he pushed open the bedroom door, surprise was quickly etched in his bearded face as he found the room empty. He noticed a piece of paper sitting on the table and picked it up, his eyes quickly scanning the page. 

"Ai!" he exclaimed, suddenly turning on his heel—as much as his heavy armor would allow him to, anyway—and ran out of the room with the note clutched in his hand. He ran searching for Aragorn, Thranduil, or even Elrond. 

Instead, he found Elladan and Elrohir. "Legolas and Laliath are gone!" he yelled. 

The twin's heads shot up as one. "What?" 

"They're gone! That crazy elf must have taken him!" Gimli fumed. 

"Are you sure?" Elladan asked, staring hard at the Dwarf. 

"Positive!" Gimli replied. 

"We must inform everyone!" Elrohir said to his twin. 

Elladan nodded, and the two took off before Gimli could say anything else. Quickly, the dwarf jogged after them. 

Aragorn, Elrond, Coran, and Thranduil were poring over maps, in an attempt to fortify the woodland realm. They were startled when the twins, closely followed by Gimli, burst into the room. 

"Ada!" The twins cried as soon as they had cleared the doorway. "Laliath and Legolas are gone!" 

"Legolas left a note, to say goodbye!" Gimli continued. 

"What?!" Thranduil roared, whirling to face Coran. "What have you done with my son!?" 

Coran blinked, not even flinching as Thranduil yelled at him. The dwarf looked sad and Thranduil saw this, quickly quieting down. 

"They have a task that must be completed; the fate of all of Middle Earth rests on them. Laliath is my friend and companion, you are not the only one to feel sorrow, but that is the task set before them. We cannot stay fate's hand! They were born to fight this evil, and to die." 

There was stunned silence; Aragorn felt a horrible cold feeling flow through his body, as memories of the dream came unbidden to his mind. 

Aragorn turned to the open window. "Please be all right…don't let my nightmare become truth!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            A sniveling creature approached the dark man sitting in an equally dark tent. "My Lord, we will arrive in Mirkwood by dawn." 

"Good," the man replied. "Soon those meddling lights will be dead, and I will destroy Middle Earth and recreate it in my image! Make sure that you destroy the Prince of Mirkwood and anyone who tries to protect him." 

"Yes my Lord," the creature simpered, and fled. 

The Dark Lord let out a long evil laugh. One that had even his most devoted servant shuddering with fear. 

At the very heart of Mirkwood, three elves shinvered as a cold feeling suddenly swept over them. 

"He nears," the maiden whispered. 

"We will stop him, Lomelinde," the blonde elf said, in an attempt to reassure not only himself and the elf maiden, but also the elf that they were supporting, the one who remained silent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            1. Aule, one of the Valar, created the Dwarves; it is written in the Book of Lost Tales Part I.

A/N: Okay, I know it's not as long as I promised, but I'm trying, I'm having some writer's block on this story. I need reviews!!!! Lots and lots of reviews!!!  They help me to know that people are actually reading this story, and how they like it. At this point I'd be willing to accept flames! Okay, I feel better now.  ^_^   So see that little button at the bottom of your screen? You do? Good! SEND ME REVIEWS!!!!!!! Pretty please? ^_^


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